Melges 15 Nationals Set for 22-Boat Dublin Bay Contest

21st August 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Downwind Dash – Melges 15 IRL 566 powers under spinnaker on Dublin Bay ahead of the 2026 National Championships Credit: Afloat

The Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) will host a 22-boat fleet for the Melges 15 National Championships on Dublin Bay this weekend, with seven races scheduled in what is expected to be a light-air series.

Race Officer Michael Tyrell and his team will aim to stage the championship on Dublin Bay, using the Vakaros RaceSense system adopted by the class to assist with race management and deliver fast and fair racing.

Fahy Starts Among Favourites

Multiple regional champion Jack Fahy, crewed by Adam Hyland, starts among the favourites for the national title but faces a fleet containing several previous champions and leading Irish sailors.

Barry McCartin and Teddy Byrne return to the championship, with both seeking to add a second Melges 15 national title to their sailing records.

The lighter conditions currently forecast could also suit host-club contenders Tim Norwood and Luke Donagh, while Ballyholme sailors Paddy Oliver and Diane Nelson are expected to be competitive if the gentler breeze materialises.

Team Racers Join Melges 15 Fleet

Family combinations continue to make up a significant part of the Melges 15 fleet, but the championship will also feature a strong contingent of sailors from the team-racing circuit.

Toby Hudson Fowler is among the latest team racers to join the fleet, while the championship also has an international dimension with US sailors Mike Zani and Mike Huang teaming up.

Zani and Huang have a long-standing team-racing connection, having won the US team racing nationals together in 2000, and will renew their partnership in Dún Laoghaire this weekend.

Gold And Silver Fleets Introduced

The 22-boat championship reflects the continuing development of the Melges 15 class, with Gold and Silver fleet prizes being awarded at the Nationals for the first time.

Seven races are scheduled across the weekend, with the championship fleet racing from the RIYC base in Dún Laoghaire.

Published in Melges 15

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Melges 15

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About the Melges 15 Dinghy

The Melges 15 was designed by Reichel/Pugh and built by Melges.

The design prioritises stability, comfort, ease of use, and performance.

The Melges 15 is built to be sailed by everyone from friends and couples to families and kids. The design offers performance, comfort, and stability in one sleek package.

The Melges 15’s stable hull shape and ergonomic cockpit make it a suitable layout for adult racing and educational sailing. Easy conversion from a club configuration (non-spinnaker) to a one-design setup, provides more versatility to club programs and options for individual owners.

“The Melges 15 creates a clear pathway for junior sailors to get started and stay excited about sailing while also being comfortable and accessible enough for adults to learn, race, or cross-train,” according to Harry Melges III.

With the main design goals focused on stability and performance in various conditions, the boat features a narrow overall beam and a flat cross-section shape for stability, righting moment, and ease of planing. For a more forgiving feel upwind and to navigate larger sea states, the Melges 15 has just the right amount of fore and aft rocker.

Melges conducted extensive research and product testing to produce this layout factoring in cockpit depth, backbone height, and floor plan. The result, they say, is a comfortable environment for both the skipper and crew. The deeper cockpit takes the load off the sailor’s knees helping them feel locked into the boat while the high boom and gnav vang system work together to make the boat easier to manoeuvre.

The asymmetric spinnaker offers an additional performance element, while the single-pull launch and retrieval system makes handling the sail easy and fast.

At a Glance - Melges 15 Specifications

LENGTH 15 ft
BEAM 5 ft 6 in
DRAFT 2 ft 7 in
HULL WEIGHT 230 lbs
SAIL AREA
MAIN 93.6 sq ft
JIB 39.8 sq ft
ASYMMETRICAL SPINNAKER 156 sq ft
CREW 2

At a Glance - Irish Melges 15 class calendar for 2026

April 18–19 – Western Championships, Lough Derg Yacht Club
May 23–24 – Eastern Championships, Royal Irish Yacht Club (as part of Dun Laoghaire Cup)
June 20–21 – Northern Championships, Howth Yacht Club
July 3–5 – European Championships, Riva del Garda, Italy
August 22–23 – Irish National Championships, Royal Irish Yacht Club, Dublin Bay
September 19–20 – Sprint Style Event, Royal St. George Yacht Club (16 races targeted)
Winter 2026/2027 – Additional frostbite racing (dates TBC)